LAUREL NEWS – oncologics partners with pink!, to ease financial burdens on breast cancer patients

Laurel, MS – "PINK!" is more than a color to a band of dedicated volunteers in Hattiesburg, MS. It's the name of their primary fund raiser, scheduled this year on Saturday, September 27. The event includes a sit-down steak dinner, dancing to the "The Connection," a show band from Birmingham, AL, and a silent auction. Thanks to generous business sponsors like OncoLogics, and hundreds of attendees who bid for silent auction treasures, "PINK!" typically raises about $40,000 (net) on the night of the gala. Proceeds are used to pay bills on behalf of Pine Belt breast cancer patients in a 17 county area.

As one of the new 2008 sponsors of "PINK!", representatives of OncoLogics will have a presence at the event. According to the co-founder of the Pink Ribbon Fund, Susan Light, "We received a grant application from an OncoLogics patient, and a great new partnership began when we spoke with their dedicated staff. With the assistance of OncoLogics, we intend to develop a greater presence in Laurel, so we can help many more OncoLogics patients."

It is the mission of the Fund to compassionately assist Pine Belt breast cancer patients with financial support for their diagnosis and treatment, as well as quality of life issues resulting from their illness. Applications can be found at several Pine Belt medical offices where breast cancer patients are diagnosed and treated. If a patient cannot pay, or is obviously having financial trouble, a patient counselor gives them a grant application, which must be signed by the treating physician. The patient must also sign a HIPAA waiver, allowing the Fund to verify all bills. A group of seven women, including two breast cancer survivors, meets monthly to evaluate applications. Since it's humble beginnings in March, 2004, the Fund has distributed almost $200,000 on behalf of breast cancer patients. It pays for: Transportation (in the form of pre-paid gas cards), wigs and head coverings, COBRA insurance payments, doctor bills, hospital bills, pharmacy bills, lab bills, and mastectomy supplies.

Contact Michelle Garner at 601-268-3992 for more information or for tickets to the event.

Last Updated on 12/08/08

OncoLogics is recognized as a premier radiation oncology provider in the communities it serves, and is known as a source of education throughout those areas for preventative care, treatment and community resources for cancer patients.

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